Hi,
I am just wondering if anyone had fitted a dashcam to their x351 yet and if so, how did you go about it?

I have just purchased a Innovv C3 that has a seperate bullet cam that can be descretly mounted behind the rear view mirror.

Techmoan - Techmoan - Innovv C3 Review -The Wired Lens Mini Camera

However, I've now got to figure out how to fit it / run a a power source. I must confess I am not looking forward to pulling trim on the XJ.

I think one of the likely areas where I can hide the main unit it is behind the end caps of the dashboard (the bit between the edge of the dashboard and the door... I believe the part is FDRAW93F04481A03?). Has anyone has any experience of removing this panel? Is it just a case of gentle leverage?

 

I haven't but have been considering doing so. I know on the XF many people have hard wired these in via the yellow and grey wires in the overhead light console. Good news doing that way is amount of trim to be removed will be almost zero if you mount camera close to rear view mirror. Hope that helps.

 

Man, IF ONLY I COULD INSTALL ONE

I wanted to install this one:
But unfortunately the XJ is heavy on the electronics already and drains the battery quickly even with just the radio or sidelights on because everything is lit up on the dashboard. As a result I can't get one fitted as it would kill it even more, I get low battery warnings all the time.

I'd only recommend getting one if you drive atleast 30 mins a day, otherwise it will just kill the battery. The above DVR 0801 is quite popular, lots of youtube reviews on it if you are interested.

I'd be interested if anyone knows how to power it though, I want to connect it up in such a way that it is not easy to steal.

 

I have had dash cams in my cars and van for about 5 years now. In the X351 I mounted the cam on the screen about 2/3 the way up the A pillar on the drivers ( UK car ) side. The wire runs down underneath the A pillar trim to the corner of the dash. I then routed it round , using a plastic comb to tuck it into a groove/join in the dash and under the steering column, tucking it in the trim again and round to the edge of the centre console. It tucks under the edge of the console and then comes up and into the centre armrest to plug in to the outlet in there.
It turns on and off with the ignition so I never have to worry about switching it on.
I know the wire is visible in a couple of places but it only took maybe 10 minutes to install. I may get round to improving the install one day but I am happy with it as it is.

 

please tell me the usefulness of having a dash cam? What is the practical reason for needing one?

 

So you can provide the police evidence to arrest you with!

 

It can work against you, but if you are a good driver and feel you are on the end of some bad driving most of the time from other road users, it could be worth getting. It will help prove your case in accidents when you are not at fault and you can use your footage to report dangerous driving.

Some of them have 15 minutes of battery life for recording after you switch the engine off, because they are based on motion sensing, 15 minutes is often enough just to capture movement around your car, incase someone breaks in etc.

 

Thats what I was thinking the reason was....

Another option is to simply pull out the cell and record in any direction you need to if theres a driving nuisance close by. Further, I highly doubt a stationary dash cam facing forward out the windshield would in any way help identify the identity of a break in.

I just don't see any rational benefit of a dash cam.

 

I can only talk about the UK obviously but...

Using as evidence against you is difficult in the UK. If you have no official referance of speed it is very difficult to prove to enough accuracy to convict the speed you were actually doing. Also, I believe unless a very serious offence has occured it isn't that easy to sieze the footage without your permission. However, while on that subject your actual car now records enough data in ECU to get you into trouble if you caused a serious accident. There has already been cases in the UK where the data from the car ecu has been used to proove recklessness.

As far as benifits, there are many situations where accidents caused by other people can be blamed on you... in which case you are liable. Normally in the UK if someone reverses into you, you will have a hard time proving it if the other driver was dishonest. There are even gangs around that will cut in front of you and brake hard so you drive in the back of them, making you liable for any damage... and most importantly a car full of presonal injuries claims.




and actuall footage from someone who had a dashcam installed in their XJ...

 

how does a dash cam prove your rate of travel? wouldn't a timecoded vid of your speedo be needed at the very least for a judge to use as direct evidence to debunk an officers erroneus testimony? Seems the bar would have to be set extremely high in terms of proof to sway a judge seeing case after case log day in day out. Here in California, it is just a money grind, with perp after perp accepting "no-contest" settlements to rapid half-reduced convictions that turn into bench warrants if not paid within 7 calendar days. Rarely can any evidence be presented to a judge that will sway is belief that the cop was merely doing his job with no axe to grind. If a cop wants to set you up for some reason, and fabricate evidence against you, you're basically cooked. Speeding cases are always the cops word against yours.

I just can't see what you could bring into a courtroom to make a judge say "Hey! You're right sir! The cop lied and we are sorry... Case dismissed!."

Call me a cynic.

The cars that actually need dash cams are the cops themselves to record all stops they make.

 

The wife of a friend of mine did some quick thinking a while back, she was following a small truck around some lanes, a couple of cars came the other way, the truck pulled onto the verge for them to pass by and she pulled up behind him. He then proceeded to reverse into her without realising she had been following him for a while. He and his passenger both got out and proceeded to say they were sorry and the insurance company would sort out the problem.
She did not trust them on her first impression and said to them she would take a few pictures on her phone of the damage to her car and the rear of their truck, there was very little damage to the rear of the truck.
She actually had turned on the video on her phone and this then recorded their conversation about being sorry they had reversed into her.
Anyway, roll on a few days and lo and behold a letter in the post from their insurance company blaming her for driving into the back of them. She had been in contact with her insurance company and the video was enough to show who was to blame.
Her husband was in my car recently and I showed him how the dash cams work, he had not heard of them before.

 

A dashcam can't prove the speed you were going. Thats the point... the dashcam itself can't be used as evidence against you, you have to be caught speeding via proper methods. If you were really concerned about that type of stuff, it is possible to setup a dash cam so it can see your own car dashboard (and obviously speed) in the corner.

As for speeding, again I can only talk for the UK, but they do not "fabricate" speeding evidence here.

The sole reason for a dashcam is purely for proof of accident liability. Just must remember that although there are some on this forum that see the XJ as a 5.0 L sports car, there are many that just like to waft around in luxuary only only need a far more sedate engine in their car. In the UK, 5.0L is quite rare, virtually all the UK cars have a 3.0L Diesel.

We are two different worlds. If you are just worried about theft and police fabricating evidence then a dashcam is not much use to you.

However, if you are worried about accident liability and you generally are a regulation safe driver then a dashcam makes a lot of sense.

 

Well yea, that makes sense. An iPhone is certainly the right tool to have when you know someone is trying to scam you.

Still thinking you could mount a dash cam on your car and never use it...ever

 

Absolutely.. and hopefully it will be the case that no-one ever needs the footage.

However as the dashcam is on continued loop record (and it records only when the ignition is on) once you have fitted it you can forget about it. It then only comes into place if an accident/incident occurs.

I guess its a bit like a seat belt or airbags... not needed on a daily basis but great to have if someone drives into you!

 

I'm actually thinking of getting a Lukas 7950
It has a parking mode which automatically shuts down if the battery drops below a certain level.

Has anyone hardwired a dash cam into the x351?
I was hoping to piggy back off a fuse but not sure which (if any) are always hot

 

The accessory socket in the centre armrest switches off a while after you lock the car, I ran the wire down the A pillar behind the trim, then tucked it around the end of the dash and then round under the steering column. From there I was able to tuck it under the edge of the centre console where it meets the carpet, then I routed it up and into the armrest and plugged it into the socket.
I know you can see the wire in a couple of places but it switches on at start up, off at shut down and I never have to think about it.
It also only took about 10 minutes to do, if that !

 

could you post pics please

 

Will sort some pics out, I mentioned I routed the cable next to the console where it meets the carpet but that was how I did it on the Super V8. In the x351 there was a groove/join along the console, in mine where the two colours of the console meet , where I pushed the cable into with a plastic comb ( so as not to damage anything ). I will take some pics in daylight and try to post them up for you.

 

cheers

 

The camera is by the A pillar and the cable routes behind the rubber trim down the pillar




I also have the Road Angel cable running to the centre console from here as well




This needs a tidy up at some point, there are two cables behind the tape, the padding protects them when the door shuts, they are not visible with the door shut. If you only had one cable it would be easier to hide.




The cable is tucked into the joins on the dash between the panels, pushed in with a plastic comb to not cause any damage, you cannot hide all of it at this point




The cable goes under the steering column and again tucks in the joins of the dashboard, here the cables run down where the brown and cream panels meet, I also have a third cable hidden in the vertical groove here, this is a larger cable that runs an independent Tom Tom navigation device when I use it.




Further routing of the two cables for the Dash Cam and the Road Angel




Here is where the cables tuck into the centre arm rest to go to a mulri accessory socket unit to power the units.